Batch BBQ chicken breast

One pack, one round on the grill, protein for the week. This is the backbone for wraps, bowls, salads and quick dinners.

The trick isn't the grilling. It's the freezer. Freeze the portions on a tray first, then bag them, and they come out one at a time instead of as one chicken brick.

Method

1. Read the label before you buy: sodium per 100 g. The outline's guide is under 150 mg; 300 mg or more is a warning to check for added brine. Choose chicken without added salt or sodium solution.
2. Trim the breasts and butterfly any thick ones to an even thickness of about 2 cm. Pat dry.
3. Mix the paprika, cumin, garlic powder, lemon juice and oil. Coat the chicken. Grill now, or refrigerate at 4 °C or colder for no more than 240 minutes before cooking.
4. Heat the BBQ to medium-high, about 200–220 °C with the lid closed. Grill for about 5–7 minutes per side, until the centre of every piece reaches 74 °C. Thickness and grill heat change the timing; check with a thermometer. Never part-cook chicken to finish later.
5. Rest for 5 minutes, then slice and divide into six equal portions. Each represents 200 g raw chicken; weigh the cooked portions for logging because cooking changes the weight.
6. Put the portions in shallow containers and refrigerate within 120 minutes of finishing cooking. Don't wait for them to reach room temperature.
7. Once chilled, keep only what you'll eat within 3 days in the fridge. Spread the rest on a freezer tray, not touching. Freeze for about 120–180 minutes, until firm, then bag and label with the date and cooked weight.

Notes

• Keep the fridge at 4 °C or colder. Cooked chicken is best within 3 months in a freezer at −18 °C; that is a quality limit, not a safety expiry while kept frozen.
• Thaw in the fridge, never on the counter. Reheat in a covered pan over low heat with a little water until the centre reaches 74 °C.
• Nutrition is estimated from raw weights, using chicken with about 45 mg sodium per 100 g and counting all the oil and seasoning. Labels vary; sides aren't included.
• Batch three or more portions at a time.